Apple Event: iPhone loses headphone
Tim Cook, Apple's CEO, speaking at the 2012 World Wide Developers Conference. SPECIAL TO THE ORCACLE
Tim Cook reached into his bag of wonder and produced a stunning lineup of brand-new Apple products to make a fan’s mouth water.
At Wednesday’s Apple Special Event, the CEO unveiled the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, Apple Watch Series 2, and AirPod wireless earbuds, as well as several software updates.
After months of anticipation, consumers were finally able to see the changes made to the new iPhone and confirm rumors surrounding the headphone situation.
In what has widely been considered the most radical change, Apple got rid of the formerly standard 3.5 mm headphone jack.
If users still wish to use headphones, though, they can do so with the use of a converter that plugs in to the Lightning port that is otherwise used for charging the phone.
However, to pair with the loss of the headphone jack, Apple revealed their new AirPod wireless earbuds. They will not be available as the standard earphones for the iPhone 7 but, will sell separately for $159. They will become available in late October.
Other changes to the iPhone are the new water-resistance of the 7 and 7 Plus models.
Apple is behind in this respect, as the first waterproof smartphone was Sony’s Experia Z, which was released in early 2013, and Samsung released their first waterproof model, the Galaxy S5, a year later.
Another big change is the presence of dual-cameras on the iPhone 7 Plus. This update is intended to be useful for its better zoom capabilities and long-range pictures.
Apple also announced smaller changes, such as new jet and matte black colors, along with the usual silver, gold and rose gold.
Huge changes were also made to the Apple Watch’s successor. The devices will now be also waterproof, but more so than the iPhone. The timepiece can be submerged up to 50 meters, which will be coupled with the new swimming tracker on the Activities app.
The smartwatch, which is the most popular of its kind, also has a new processor, which makes it 50 percent faster. Apple made the display twice as bright as the last one, which makes the screen the brightest display ever made on any Apple product.
The pre-order for the new phones and next generation of smartwatch begins Friday, and the devices themselves will be available on Sept.16.
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